Two, well one & a half, games coming up:

Two new teams who we've never played before for our next two fixtures.
On Saturday 1st September we have a 7-a-side match away to Erith & Belvedere supporters'. They don't quite have the numbers to play full eleven a side games. But then it's never stopped us before, what with the amount of late cry offs we have to put up with, and our liberal use of 'guest players' to make up the numbers!
The following Saturday we have an 11 o'clock kick off away to Dover Athletic Supporters' Team, prior to the 'big boys' match at The Crabble in the afternoon. This is, potentially, already one of our biggest first Team matches of the season, so you don't really have an excuse not to play have you? Even Nicolas Lucas will be there, travelling all the way from Namur, in Belgium! Whilst we've not played the dover fans before, we did enter a five a side competition they ran about four or five years ago, where we were made very welcome & had a good day out. More of the same hopefully!
Once again please remember to let andy know ASAP if you are available for either game. You should have had his email a couple of weeks ago, but if you've forgotten to reply & deleted it already just send him one to: Andrew.Tucker@justice.gsi.gov.uk

More snaps from Tallinn...

These ones courtesy of Paul Griffin. They were taken on the Sunday evening, when those of us who had not had to dash back to dear old Blighty, enjoyed a medieval style banquet at one of the many pleasant restaurants in the old town. We opted for the sumptious menu that included such tasty dishes as wild boar; bear; various game, salmon, elk and more! It really was quite delicious (well most of it anyway...) and a great way to wind down the tour. Highlight was the toast & words of thanks by our elder statesman Mark Hutton, offered up to thank Andy Tucker & Lawrence Marsh for all their hard work in arranging the tour, & making it such a success!







This snap is of Hutty, who couldn't resist posing by the Belarus
National Under Eighteen sides team coach, after we watched them
beat the Estonian Under 18's on the Saturday evening.


One old communist relic posing with another...


Oh dear, that's the sad sight of the sunburnt legs of Mishi
Morath, that little gap between the shorts and the top of the
socks, from his brief runout against Jalgpallihaigla!
(Don't worry Griff...you might help me with the photos, but I
do this blog, & don't worry son: revenge will be sweet! ;-)

Greeting from Estonia!

Not long after we got back I received this message from Madis Hallimae, who helps to run JK Jalpallihaigla:

"In my opinion it was a marvellous weekend with marvellous people.
It was nice to see again familiar faces of the people who were great hosts for us when we came to Dulwich in May.
I think the friendly we played in Tallinn was an interesting one-to see so many goals in the game was surprising for us. I was really happy about the one I scored in the last minute-this is the first ever goal I have scored because usually I have to stay between the posts as a goalkeeper. But of ocurse the star of the game was Lawrence Marsh, for your team. Scoring six goals is real class in itself, to be honest our star-striker only got three himself. And the own goal from your player. It was a pretty good one and many of our players voted it 'the most beautiful own goal ever scored!'
I am pleased that you all enjoyed your time in Tallinn, it is really nice to hear you say so. Our team also enjoyed the weekend, both on & off the field. We will definitely see you again!

Madis.

Wonderful words there, from a wonderful person. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to go back out there next summer. We also hope to fix up a game in neighbouring Riga, in Latvia. This would be the first time we have taken in two countries to play games on a single tour. More "Rabblers" history in the making!

Looking back at Estonia...

Time moves on, but the memories linger....

The Jalgpallihaigla website has a report of the game, but unfortunately for us it's all in Estonian! (Naturally, I suppose) But one thing that does stand out at the bottom of it is their list of goalscorers, or to be precise the one that put them 2-1 up in the seventeenth minute. Click here and check it for yourself...
Yes it really does say BAKER when it was actually GRIFFIN who scored the wonder oggie. For the record it was Phil Baker who hit the back of his own net in 2003 against the host team on our Prague Tour, our last match of that tournament. But it was indeed Paul Griffin who swivelled on the proverbial sixpence to hit the ball low into the corner of the net past poor old Matt Hammond. At least Phil had the satisfaction of knowing he'd kippered Ian Wright when he got his! Though Phil 'El Pussy' Baker is no stranger to being on the other side of the dreaded oggie when Mick O'Shaughnessy put one past him in our 3-2 victory over Red Star supporters' in Paris in 2005!

There are some cracking photos from our Estonian tour on the Jalgpallihaigla site here.

And if you haven't seen the snaps taken by Paul Griffin you can view them here.

Enjoy!
And thank you to both photographers for letting me use them here.

Tucker Sun Shark Photos

Not content with our recent trip to Estonia, team fixture secretary, wannabe manager & Larry's gopher, Andy Tucker, was down in St. Ives, down in Cornwall with a free lance photographer mate, rather than taking in the 'delights' of the Hamlet First Team & Reserves double header in the Crawley suburbs of Three Bridges. And who can blame him? For he had nothing more planned than a couple of hours sunbathing & gawping at the local girls when 'The Sun' roadshow turned up with a couple of Page Three girls in tow. And this is where a bit of lady luck shone on him. For they had forgotten to sort out any promotional staff, & he became 'camera boy' for his snapper mate as they helped out. As if that wasn't jammy enough he got paid £250 for the privelege, which more than paid for the weekend away!

'Well I didn't quite get the tour T-shirts done, anyone for
St. Ives next season?'









The Cornwall Shark-even more plastic than the claims of Paul Griffin to come from the Duchy!

Apologies for anyone looking in

but I haven't had the time, or means, to update this site over the last few weeks.
I am hampered somewhat by not owning my own computer, and don't expect to update anything on here until the evening of Monday 20th August.
Please look back then. Thanks!